Semiconductor devices can be manufactured for instance by means of so-called “wafer bonding”. Wafer bonding is a packaging technology on wafer-level suitable for the fabrication of for instance micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), nano-electromechanical systems (NEMS), microelectronics and optoelectronics. Typically, wafer bonding ensures a mechanically stable and hermetically sealed encapsulation. Typically, wafers manufactured, comprising semiconductors, can have a diameter ranging from 100 mm to 200 mm (from 4 inch to 8 inch) for MEMS/NEMS and up to 300 mm (12 inch) for the production of semiconductor devices such as microelectronics and optoelectronics.
Unfortunately, for some applications, the cost of a semiconductor device made by wafer bonding will be high and the yield of the method for manufacturing the device will be low because of limited available wafer size of bonded semiconductors on a substrate, such as a dissimilar substrate. Wafer bonding is also limited to available effective wafer size of the substrate, which is typically much smaller than the regular size of the dissimilar substrate. Conformability between semiconductor material and dissimilar substrate can also be questioned and may in worst case lead to material bonding problems. Failure of bonding between two materials during operation of a semiconductor device could be catastrophic.
Also, other techniques have found application for manufacturing semiconductor devices, such as techniques using epitaxial technology, and in particular “selective epitaxial growth”. This is described for instance in “Multiple Layers of Silicon-on-Insulator Islands Fabrication by Selective Epitaxial Growth, S. Pae, et. al. IEEE ELECTRON DEVICE LETTERS, VOL. 20, NO. 5, MAY 1999”, IEEE.